THE HEALTH Service Executive (HSE) is to examine the possibility of establishing a reference laboratory to identify the types of the superbug Clostridium difficilein circulation at health facilities across the State. John Downes reports.
This follows a recommendation contained in a report by two senior doctors into the outbreak of the superbug at Ennis General Hospital last year.
A HSE spokeswoman said the establishment of such a laboratory would be considered as part of an ongoing review of State laboratories. She said it was too early to say what form such a laboratory would take.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Minister for Health Mary Harney last night claimed there was "no question" of her having either received or ignored a letter from a consultant at Ennis General Hospital, Dr Terry Hennessy, in April 2005.
Commenting on reports that Ms Harney had failed to act on warnings of problems at the hospital at that time - which yesterday prompted strong criticism from both Fine Gael and Labour - Ms Harney's spokeswoman said the Minister met a delegation from the Ennis Hospital Action Group, which included Dr Hennessy, on April 18th, 2005. "The issue of bed occupancy was only one of a wide range of issues which were discussed at the meeting," she said.
The Minister responded to a separate letter from seven consultants at the hospital, sent in March 2005, which did not refer to healthcare-associated infections, she said.
"The Minister, HSE and the hospital responded appropriately to the issues raised at both the meeting with the Ennis hospital group and in the letter from the hospital's consultants," she added.
Forty-six, mainly elderly, female patients at Ennis General Hospital became infected with Clostridium difficilein the first six months of 2007. Fifteen died within 30 days of being diagnosed, while another six had died by the end of the year.
The review by two senior HSE doctors found Clostridium difficilecontributed to 13 of the deaths but was not the primary cause.
The Irish Nurses Organisation yesterday claimed that its members had consistently highlighted their concerns to management about conditions at the hospital.
By lunchtime yesterday, a total of 18 people had contacted a special helpline set up for people concerned about their care at the hospital.